Search Results (8,060)

This study examined the implementation and instructional effectiveness of a multimodal AI-supported instructional framework integrating a generative AI assistant (Microsoft Copilot) with a speech-recognition-based mobile learning application (Mondly) to support productive vocabulary development in EFL higher education. Unlike studies focusing on single AI tools, this study evaluates a coordinated dual-module instructional configuration combining LLM-based lexical support with ASR-based spoken retrieval practice within a structured classroom routine. The proposed framework can be viewed as a lightweight socio-technical instructional arrangement in which learners engage with complementary AI components through guided feedback and repeated practice. A quasi-experimental pretest–post-test control group design was conducted over an eleven-week semester with 64 first-year EFL students at an Iraqi university. Productive vocabulary knowledge was measured using the Productive Vocabulary Levels Test (PVLT), and data were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA. Results revealed a statistically significant Time × Group interaction with a large effect size, indicating greater productive vocabulary gains in the AI-supported condition compared with traditional instruction. Qualitative findings further suggested perceived improvements in lexical retrieval, sentence construction, pronunciation accuracy, and learner engagement. From an instructional perspective, the findings suggest that learning gains were associated with the coordinated use of complementary AI tools within a structured classroom workflow. This study provides a practical instructional model that may be adaptable to comparable resource-constrained higher-education contexts. Full article

The removal of excessive amounts of antibiotics from water systems is of great benefit due to their adverse effects on the ecosystems, living organisms and the persistent increase in antibiotic resistance cases. This study was focused on the adsorption of vancomycin from a simulated aqueous medium using seaweed, a sustainable and low-cost adsorbent. Also, the work focuses on assessing the influence of surface modification on adsorption behaviour and determining if chemical treatment provides improvements over untreated seaweed. In particular, chemically modified seaweed and raw (non-modified) seaweed were assessed as adsorbents suitable for removing traces of vancomycin from water, as gauged from the results of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). In addition, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and the pH point of zero charge (pHpzc) were used to measure the surface characteristics of these adsorbents. The degree of antibiotic adsorption was evaluated as a function of different factors, including the pH, adsorbent dosage, contact time, ionic strength and initial concentration of vancomycin. Thermodynamic parameters, such as the enthalpy change (∆H°), the entropy change (∆S°) and the free-energy change (∆G°), were calculated. The FTIR analysis indicates that functional groups, such as carbonyl and hydroxyl groups, were involved in the adsorption process, and their modification influenced adsorption behaviour. It was observed that the adsorption of vancomycin by the modified seaweed was slightly lower (±94%) compared to the level achieved for the raw seaweed (±97%). These figures were obtained with an initial concentration of vancomycin of 25 µg/mL, a pH of the aqueous solution of 7.0, an adsorbent dose of 0.2 g and a contact time of 120 min. The results showed that untreated seaweed exhibited slightly higher adsorption efficiency than the treated seaweed, suggesting that chemical modification might not have enhanced adsorption performance. The thermodynamic parameters suggested that the adsorption process was exothermic and that adsorption was favourable for the untreated seaweed and less favourable for the treated seaweed. Regeneration studies showed a decrease in adsorption efficiency over repeated cycles. Although the adsorption capacity is lower than that of advanced nanomaterials, the use of seaweed offers an advantage in terms of low cost, availability and environmental sustainability. The comparable efficiency of the modified and untreated seaweed adsorbent suggests that seaweed adsorbents can be used as viable bio-adsorbents for the decontamination of water. Full article

Background/Objectives: The quality of intraoral scanner-derived digital models depends not only on deviation-based accuracy, but also on how scanned surfaces are reconstructed into a polygonal mesh. The aim of this prospective within-subject observational study was to evaluate whether tooth morphology influences local mesh density distribution in intraoral scanner-derived STL models of selected maxillary teeth. Methods: Twenty participants underwent maxillary intraoral scanning using a Medit i900 wired intraoral scanner under standardized clinical conditions. For each participant, the buccal surfaces of the maxillary right central incisor (11), canine (13), first premolar (15), and first molar (16) were selected as regions of interest. Surface area (A), number of vertices (V), and number of faces (F) were recorded, and the surface-normalized mesh density parameters vertices per unit area (V/A) and faces per unit area (F/A) were calculated. Comparisons among tooth types were performed using repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post hoc correction. Results: Significant differences were found among tooth types for both V/A and F/A (p < 0.001). Mean V/A values were 18.2 ± 1.9 for tooth 11, 19.8 ± 1.4 for tooth 13, 23.8 ± 1.7 for tooth 15, and 22.9 ± 2.0 vertices/mm² for tooth 16. Mean F/A values were 34.3 ± 3.6, 37.5 ± 2.7, 44.4 ± 3.3, and 42.9 ± 3.8 faces/mm², respectively. Post hoc comparisons showed significant differences between teeth 11 and 13, 11 and 15, 11 and 16, 13 and 15, and 13 and 16, whereas no significant difference was observed between teeth 15 and 16. Conclusions: Tooth morphology significantly influenced local mesh density distribution in intraoral scanner-derived STL models of selected maxillary teeth. These findings suggest that local anatomical form affects STL mesh reconstruction under standardized in vivo scanning conditions and support local mesh density analysis as a useful complementary approach to conventional deviation-based digital assessment. Full article

Background: Despite mechanical hygiene, plaque-related illnesses like gingivitis and periodontitis affect over 3.5 billion people globally. Natural mouthwashes are becoming increasingly popular as consumers shift toward plant-based alternatives to chlorhexidine, which may have drawbacks that limit long-term acceptability. This study aimed to evaluate the short-term clinical potential of three herbal mouthwashes—Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile), Salvia officinalis (sage), and Zingiber officinale (ginger)—in reducing dental plaque and clinical signs of gingival inflammation in young adults. (2) Materials and Methods. A randomised controlled clinical trial was conducted on 175 systemically healthy participants, allocated equally into five groups (three herbal groups, placebo, and chlorhexidine). Each herbal group used a 2% aqueous infusion three times daily for twelve weeks. The 2% aqueous infusion concentration was selected based on commonly reported concentrations in previous phytotherapeutic and clinical studies evaluating herbal mouthwashes, balancing potential efficacy with safety and tolerability. The plant materials were sourced from certified suppliers, and standardized dried plant parts were used under controlled preparation conditions. Clinical assessments were performed at baseline (T0), week 1 (T1), week 5 (T2), and week 9 (T3), corresponding to the beginning of each evaluation interval within the 12-week study, using the Silness–Löe Plaque Index and the modified Löe–Silness Gingival Index. Data were analyzed using repeated-measures ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc correction. (3) Results. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of time for both plaque accumulation and gingival index scores. For the Silness–Löe Plaque Index, a marked time-dependent reduction was observed across the active treatment groups (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.56), with a significant time × group interaction (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.49). Similarly, the modified Löe–Silness Gingival Index showed a significant reduction over time (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.22), with a significant interaction effect between time and mouthwash type (p < 0.001; η²_p = 0.17). No statistically significant differences were found among the three herbal mouthwashes in post hoc Bonferroni comparisons (all p > 0.05), whereas all active treatments showed significantly better outcomes compared with the placebo. (4) Discussion. All three rinses showed similar clinical effects on plaque and gingival scores. However, without mechanistic assays, no claims can be made about comparable antibacterial or anti-inflammatory activity. Compared with conventional antiseptics such as chlorhexidine, herbal rinses offer important advantages in terms of biocompatibility, safety, and tolerability, with no staining, taste alteration, or mucosal irritation reported. At T3, the correlation between plaque and gingival indices was weak (Spearman’s ρ = 0.18, p = 0.09), suggesting limited linear association; this finding should be interpreted cautiously, as the low end-range values and limited variability of both indices at this time point may have masked a true association. This exploratory observation raises, but does not confirm, the possibility that factors other than plaque reduction may contribute to gingival improvement. (5) Conclusions. Significant reductions in dental plaque and clinical signs of gingival inflammation were observed following regular use of chamomile, sage, and ginger mouthwashes for twelve weeks. All herbal formulations exhibit similar clinical results. Longer-term controlled trials incorporating microbiological and phytochemical analyses are recommended to validate these findings further. Full article

High-intensity or repetitive exercise induces metabolic stress and neuromuscular fatigue in skeletal muscle. Using a within-subjects repeated-measures crossover design, eight male amateur swimmers completed five experimental sessions at one-week intervals. Following an isokinetic fatigue protocol, five recovery interventions were applied in a randomized order: control (NT), foam roller (FR), vibration foam roller (VFR), and whole-body vibration at 12 Hz (WBV-12) and 20 Hz (WBV-20). The isokinetic fatigue protocol produced a significant reduction in bilateral extensor peak torque (229.2 ± 37.8%BW to 189.8 ± 27.5%BW; t(7) = 4.19, p = 0.004, d = 1.48), confirming successful fatigue induction. Outcome measures included visual analog scale (VAS) scores, blood lactate concentration, and knee extensor/flexor peak torque (%BW) assessed at three time points. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA (intervention × time) revealed significant main effects of recovery methods at the post-recovery time point for VAS scores (F(4,28) = 5.98, p = 0.001, η²g = 0.248), blood lactate (F(4,28) = 5.12, p = 0.003, η²g = 0.226), and isokinetic peak torque (F(4,28) = 10.75, p < 0.001, η²g = 0.226). Post hoc Bonferroni analysis indicated that VFR and WBV-20 produced significantly higher lactate recovery rates than NT. Active recovery interventions produced lower perceived fatigue scores and greater lactate reductions than passive rest; however, individual Bonferroni pairwise comparisons for VAS and blood lactate did not reach adjusted significance, and these findings should be considered preliminary. WBV-20 demonstrated statistically confirmed superiority in isokinetic muscle function recovery (Bonferroni p < 0.05 vs. NT, FR, and VFR), suggesting its potential as an effective post-exercise recovery strategy for neuromuscular restoration. Full article

SMA bars, particularly those based on NiTi, exhibit superelastic and self-centering properties, providing damage-resistant, self-centering structural systems. However, their natural smoothness and low machinability pose a significant challenge to adequate mechanical anchorage. This paper experimentally measures the efficiency of two feasible wedge-type anchorage systems, wedge-and-barrel (WB) and spring anchor (SA), which are typically used in post-tensioning systems, and assesses their applicability for anchoring smooth-surfaced NiTi SMA bars. A total of 24 testing configurations were examined in this study. A complete monotonic tensile test regime was performed at steady loads with desired strain levels. The findings validate that both wedge-type anchorage systems were able to effectively anchor the SMA bars, although some performance differences were observed. The WB anchorage system showed increased stress capacity, improved load transfer efficiency, and less scatter across repeated tests, which can be attributed to its greater mechanical confinement and frictional interlock, exhibiting an increase of approximately 27% in stress capacity compared to the SA anchorage system. On the other hand, the SA system exhibited good anchorage performance. It showed a slightly lower stress response and greater variation at higher levels of deformation due to the spring’s compression mechanism. The results demonstrate the feasibility of using wedge-type anchorage systems to anchor SMA rebars for seismic applications and provide guidance for future anchorage design. Full article

The influence of a robot’s manipulation can be observed in a robotic measurement system. Different robot end-effector trajectories yield different robot end-effector accuracy and repeatability errors. Trajectory parameters, robot motion type, velocity, and length of motion were identified as influential sources. A robot arm was used to insert measuring objects into the measurement device for dimensional measurements. In the first part, the measurement datasets for linear and joint robot motions were compared for three different velocities and four motion lengths. The influence of the number of active joints in the robot’s motion was compared for two velocities and four magnitudes of joint rotation. Dimensional measurement variability was analysed using measurement system analysis (MSA), and the statistical influence of trajectory parameters was further addressed by analysis of variance (ANOVA). All identified trajectory parameters have a statistically significant impact on measurement variability, reflecting the robot end-effector’s accuracy and repeatability errors. Linear motion provides higher measurement variability up to $20\%$, a velocity increase that is typically up to 25–35% and motion length that is typically up to 15–35%. Full article

The impact of wind on disdrometer measurements has not yet been demonstrated through controlled reproducible physical experiments. This study aims to provide quantitative evidence of the deviation in raindrop trajectories approaching the sensing area of an optical disdrometer (the Thies Clima LPM) when immersed in a wind flow with a known velocity and direction relative to the sensor orientation. To this end, water drops with diameters between 0.9 mm and 1 mm were released in a wind tunnel and directed towards the instrument’s sensing area. Their trajectories were measured using a high-speed camera and compared with those expected in undisturbed conditions, as well as with the airflow field around the instrument body as measured in previous studies. This experiment provided the first direct measurement of the deviation in individual drop trajectories induced by wind near the Thies Clima LPM, a disdrometer commonly used in hydrological studies and applications. The effect of the non-radially symmetric geometry of the instrument on wind direction was observed, identifying the configuration most affected (parallel to the laser beam). The repeatability of the drop releasing system was checked by releasing multiple drops from the same position. This allowed attributing differences in the observed trajectories to a variation in the drop diameter. The collected dataset can be used to validate numerical models of the wind-induced bias of disdrometers and to develop adjustment functions for field measurements. Full article

Cast-in-place ground-supported concrete slabs (GSCSs) are used as floors in many facilities such as factories, workshops, garages, and airports (i.e., rigid pavements). These slabs may be subjected to repeated impact loads caused by vehicle loads, the dropping of heavy loads, and aircraft landing loads on runways. This research presents an experimental and numerical study to investigate the behavior of these slabs under impact loads. The experimental program consists of 18 concrete slabs with dimensions of 400 mm × 400 mm × 100 mm. Some variables were studied experimentally, such as the reinforcement ratio of these slabs and the amount of the impact force (represented by the drop height). Unreinforced slabs and slabs reinforced with steel reinforcement or a geogrid mesh made of knitted polyester ribs were tested. ABAQUS software was employed to study the failure mode and crack distribution of these slabs numerically. The accuracy of the proposed numerical model was verified by modeling the tested slabs and comparing the numerical results with the experimental results. From the study results, it is clear that the reinforcement significantly improves the impact performance of GSCSs, transforming their failure behavior from brittle to more ductile and tough. The combined use of impact strength and ductility factors provides an integrated measure of slab performance, offering valuable guidance for the design of protective structures, pavements, and industrial flooring under impact loading. Full article

Work-related stress is a significant concern among employees in multinational corporations, where workloads and performance expectations are high. This study examines pre–post changes associated with a Virtual Reality (VR)-based mindfulness intervention designed to support stress management after a workday. A sample of 134 corporate employees from multinational companies reporting moderate to high stress participated in the study. Physiological indicators, including heart rate and skin conductance, were recorded before and after the VR session, alongside self-reported measures of perceived stress and relaxation. The intervention consisted of immersive VR environments integrating guided breathing, calming narration, and natural landscapes. Results indicated significant reductions in physiological stress markers following the intervention compared to baseline levels, accompanied by improvements in self-reported relaxation, reduced tension, and enhanced mental clarity. These findings suggest that VR-based mindfulness is associated with short-term reductions in both physiological and perceived stress. VR-based mindfulness may represent a complementary and non-invasive approach to stress management in individuals exposed to high occupational demands. Future research using controlled designs and longitudinal approaches is needed to evaluate the sustained effects of repeated VR sessions and their integration into corporate wellness programs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Copeptin, a marker of endogenous stress, has been used for the early detection of non-ST elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) in combination with conventional cardiac troponin. However, its incremental diagnostic value, when combined with high-sensitivity troponin, is not well defined. This study seeks to assess the diagnostic performance for NSTEMI of a Dual Marker Strategy (DMS) [copeptin and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT)] measured upon presentation to the Emergency Department (ED) and compare it to the hs-cTnT 0h/1h and 0h/2h algorithms recommended by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Methods: This prospective observational study enrolled 102 patients presenting to the ED with chest pain of <6 h duration; patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) were excluded. Copeptin and hs-cTnT were measured upon patient presentation (time 0 h, DMS) in the whole cohort. hs-cTnT was subsequently repeated either at 1 h (n = 51) or 2 h (n = 51). The diagnostic performance of the DMS, assessed in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and negative (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV), was compared to that of the ESC-recommended hs-cTnT algorithms 0h/1h and 0h/2h for NSTEMI. Results: Of the total population, 59.8% were men, with a mean age of 57.7 ± 18.4 years; 8.8% of the patients were eventually di agnosed with NSTEMI. The DMS (cut-offs: copeptin < 10 pmol/L and hs-cTnT < 14 ng/L) demonstrated a sensitivity of 88.9% (95% CI: 51.75–99.72) and an NPV of 98.5% (90.94–99.76). On the other hand, the hs-cTnT 0h/1h algorithm showed a sensitivity of 60% (14.66–94.73) and an NPV of 95.6% (88.06–98.45), while the hs-cTnT 0h/2h algorithm exhibited a sensitivity of 75% (19.41–99.37) and an NPV of 95.8% (85.22–98.93). In ROC analysis, copeptin yielded an AUC of 0.702 (p = 0.046) and hs-cTnT at 0h showed an AUC of 0.736 (p = 0.02), whereas their combination demonstrated an AUC of 0.730 (p = 0.023) for the detection of NSTEMI. Conclusions: The copeptin/hs-cTnT DMS has comparable diagnostic performance to the hs-cTnT 0h/1h and 0h/2h algorithms for the early rule-out of NSTEMI. Full article

Lumbosacral and thoracolumbar kinematics are key risk factors for lifting-related low back pain, yet their measurement is typically restricted to motion capture laboratories. Inertial measurement units (IMUs) offer the potential to quantify spine kinematics in more naturalistic settings, but the validity of IMU-based processing pipelines relative to optical motion capture (OMC) remains unclear. Nine healthy participants performed stoop, squat, free, and asymmetric lifting tasks while IMU and OMC data were simultaneously collected to evaluate the concurrent validity of two IMU pipelines: the proprietary MVN Analyze pipeline and an OpenSense pipeline using a validated OpenSim biomechanical model for lifting. Joint angles from both pipelines were compared against OMC-derived joint angles calculated using the same validated OpenSim model with one-way repeated-measures statistical parametric mapping (SPM) (α = 0.05), Bland–Altman analysis with Limits of Agreement (LoA) and 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs), and Concordance Correlation Coefficients (CCCs) with 95% CIs. Xsens MVN Analyze consistently overestimated flexion-extension at both spinal levels across all lift types (lumbosacral: RMSE ≤ 9.8◦, bias ≤ −14.5◦, LoA ≤ ±10◦; thoracolumbar: RMSE ≤ 5.4◦, bias ≤ −8.3◦, LoA ≤ ±5◦), with SPM confirming significant differences during the lifting and lowering phases of all lifting cycles. In contrast, processing Xsens data with OpenSense using the same biomechanical model as the OMC data yielded excellent agreement with OMC (RMSE ≤ 2.9◦, bias ≤ 3◦, LoA ≤ ±10◦). CCC was poor to moderate, specifically in lateral bending and axial rotation planes, likely reflecting limited between-participant ROM variability. These results suggest that discrepancies are driven primarily by biomechanical model differences rather than sensor or sensor fusion limitations. Ultimately, when paired with an appropriate biomechanical model, XSens sensors show promise for practical field-based assessment of lifting biomechanics, potentially requiring only sensors at the chest and pelvis. Full article

Chitosan bioactivity has been widely evaluated in seed germination; however, its effects remain inconsistent. Some studies report biostimulant effects, while others manifest inhibitory effects, and some show no effect on germination. A major factor contributing to this poor reproducibility appears to be the variation in the degree of polymerization (X), the molar fraction of acetylation (f_A), and the chitosan concentration. However, it remains unclear whether controlling these parameters alone is sufficient to ensure consistent bioactivity in conventional polymeric chitosan samples. To elucidate this, maize seeds (Zea mays L. var. Jubilee) were soaked in chitosan solutions (pH 5) at concentrations ranging from 0.25 to 1.00% w/w for 4 h, as per the literature, to evaluate their effect on germination compared to a control (water). Nine chitosan samples were tested, differing in X (5558 to 17,161) and f_A (0.07 to 0.33). After germination, several response factors were measured, including fresh and dry biomass, root number, and root and epicotyl length. The results showed that chitosans with higher X values (9134 to 17,161) inhibit germination, decreasing it by up to a value of 3% ± 6 at 1.00% w/w. Chitosans with a lower X (5694 ± 131) exhibited a reduced inhibitory effect (63% ± 6 to 100%) across all evaluated concentrations. None of the treatments showed biostimulation; instead, chitosan consistently delayed the germination rate compared to the control, confirming an inhibitory effect regardless of the final percentage. Nevertheless, while X and concentration establish the general inhibitory trends, considerable residual variability suggests that these factors alone are insufficient to ensure consistent bioactivity. A Gauge Repeatability and Reproducibility (R&R) analysis provides preliminary evidence suggesting that molecular heterogeneity, specifically dispersity (Ð_X), is a key factor driving the observed inconsistencies and significantly affecting the reproducibility of the results within the scope of this study. Full article

Through a detailed study of nondestructive controlled quantum teleportation (NCQT) with two outputs in three-dimensional and high-dimensional Hilbert spaces, we propose an NCQT scheme that synchronously and probabilistically teleports N arbitrary unknown d-dimensional single-particle states from one sender to N different receivers under the supervision of a controller, by using a d-dimensional partially entangled $(2N+1)$-particle state as the quantum channel. The protocol succeeds if and only if all receivers recover their respective target states, and the optimal success probability of the N-output NCQT is determined by the minimum superposition coefficient of each product two-qudit state in the partially entangled channel. In our scheme, each receiver introduces an auxiliary qubit to assist in the local recovery test. When the auxiliary-qubit measurement outcome is $|0⟩$, the receiver can restore the target state; when the outcome is $|1⟩$, the corresponding unknown original state is retained by the sender. Accordingly, the N-output controlled teleportation process can be repeated as many times as additional quantum channels are available after a failed attempt. The results show that weakly entangled channels can still realize N-output controlled teleportation through sufficiently many repetitions, whereas strongly entangled channels require only a small number of repetitions to achieve the same goal. Full article

Background: Chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy (CIAT) is a type of tendinopathy resistant to conventional conservative treatments. The efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) remains controversial. This study aims to evaluate the effects of ESWT on pain management and functional improvement in CIAT patients and compare it with physical and medical treatments Methods: In this retrospective study, 372 patients diagnosed with CIAT between 2019 and 2023 were evaluated. The patients were divided into two groups: those who received only physical/medical therapy (Group 1) and those who underwent a combination of ESWT and physical/medical therapy (Group 2). Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) scores. The severity of the disease was determined through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Group comparisons were conducted using the independent samples t-test and Fisher’s exact test, while changes over time were assessed with repeated measures ANOVA. Correlation analyses were evaluated using Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients. Results: Significant improvement in AOFAS and VAS scores was observed in both groups by the third month (p < 0.01). However, at 6 and 12 months, ESWT did not demonstrate superiority over physical/medical treatment. Correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between baseline AOFAS scores and functional improvement, while higher initial VAS scores correlated with greater post-treatment pain reduction. Cardiovascular risk factors negatively impacted both functional recovery and pain reduction (p < 0.05). Although patient satisfaction was higher in the ESWT group, the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions: ESWT may provide short-term pain relief and functional improvement in CIAT but does not offer a long-term advantage over physical/medical treatment. The placebo effect may contribute to early positive outcomes. These findings do not support ESWT as a routine treatment for CIAT. Full article